He Started Making Wings at Home. Nine Buffalo Wing Festival Trophies Later, He’s Scaling Nationwide

Matt Ensero and Justin Egan, founders of Wing It On and members of the Craveworthy Brands portfolio, built the concept from a single store into an award-winning wing brand with nine National Buffalo Wing Festival trophies.

Watch now to learn how Wing It On grew from a homegrown idea, earned national recognition, and found the right partner to scale.

Sponsored by:

• TOAST AllIn1 Restaurant POS

Chapters:

[02:06] - A Wing Desert Problem

[10:15] - Buffalo Festival Hardware

[16:22] - The Majewski Connection

[22:10] - Technology and the Toast Stack

[24:25] - Storytelling, Then Scaling

SPONSORS:

RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST —

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

• Toast AllIn1 Restaurant POS

Episode Links:

Wing It On LinkedIn

Wing It On Facebook

Wing It On Instagram

Wing It On TikTok

Wing It On Franchise

Justin Egan: linkedin.com/in/justinegan

Matt Ensero

Gregg Majewski LinedIn

Craveworthy Brands

Room For Seconds Podcast

Key Takeaways:

Solve a Real Problem First: Wing It On started by addressing a simple gap in the market. There were no good wings nearby, so Matt Ensero made them himself. That focus on product quality before scale created demand that could be validated long before expansion.

Winning Builds Credibility: Earning nine trophies at the National Buffalo Wing Festival gave Wing It On proof, not just pride. Competing and winning in Buffalo against legacy wing institutions established credibility that later helped attract the right strategic partner.

Hustle Has Limits: Early success and bootstrapping carried Wing It On far, but franchising too soon exposed gaps in systems and support. Partnering with Craveworthy Brands allowed the founders to strengthen operations, refine the brand, and build a platform designed for sustainable scale.

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ABOUT MATT ENSERO —

Matt Ensero is the founder of Wing It On, which he launched in Waterbury, Connecticut in 2011, drawing on his background in operations, finance, and startups. The brand began franchising in early 2014, growing to multiple locations across the Northeast before expanding into additional markets. In early 2023, Wing It On entered a strategic partnership to join the Craveworthy Brands platform. Ensero currently serves as President of the Wing It On brand and also holds the role of Vice President of Operations and Development across the Craveworthy portfolio.

ABOUT JUSTIN EGAN —

Justin Egan is the co-founder of Wing It On, a creator, and a marketing executive known for his work in storytelling, content strategy, and brand building. He has built a reputation as a trusted creative partner, collaborating with industry leaders to develop brands designed for long term growth. Throughout his career, Egan has led projects spanning marketing, sales, operations, and technology, helping companies navigate both prosperous and challenging periods. He currently serves as Vice President of Marketing for Craveworthy Brands, where he is responsible for key initiatives tied to the company’s launch, including franchise development, branding, business development, and investor relations.

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS —

Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and @CaliBBQMedia. Every week host and restaurant owner @ShawnPWalchef talks with business leaders like Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Mayim Bialik, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Toast co-founder Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

Published by Entrepreneur Media

Produced by Cali BBQ Media